


before you go

by kitsudoki



Category: Kagerou Project
Genre: Gen, anyways the novels mention haruka and ayano shooting the shit, i like to think the ending of MCA was a collaborative effort as well, right before the ending of MCA, so you best be thinkin that ayano and her mom were catching up!!!, very minor mention of haruka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:20:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23408188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitsudoki/pseuds/kitsudoki
Summary: saeru has been defeated, the dead have returned, but there’s one more thing to say before the tateyamas can say goodbye.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	before you go

**Author's Note:**

> A BIG THANK U to @graphiteonwhite for editing and proofreading my 4 am delirium... i owe u my life

it had been years since she had seen her father smile like that. 

the haze and the real world merged momentarily; the moon dipped into the horizon with the tides rising up to kiss its surface. it was magical, but like a clock ticking towards midnight, it was just as temporary.

as soon as the couple was reunited, their daughter was forced to make a choice.

“hi.”

both parents turn away from each other to see ayano, their now eighteen-year old daughter. 

for the past two years, ayanos time in the haze consisted of catching up. 

a hospital room dyed in crimson would be the setting for two forlorn friends, talking about this and that. hours of dialogue consisted of what they couldve said, what they shouldve done. also about how cute their counterparts were, but this was a given.

an endless library would house the conversations between mother and child, though it didnt take long for ayaka to realize that her daughter had grown up. through emotional conversations about estranged, possessed fathers and unfortunate friends, they attempted to deduce where ayano went wrong. it was then that they began to hatch a plan, preparing for saerus next anticipated steps.

two years and one defeated snake later, ayano stood before them. though she had aged beyond what anyone (not even herself) could comprehend, she still felt like a child. they all knew what was coming next.

her mother spoke first, the same knowing smile on her lips.

“i guess it worked.”

her daughter nodded, but her eyes were downcast. her father, ever so ready to lighten the mood, wraps his arm around her, an old but yet unfamiliar warmth. she doesnt have to look up to see the old fire in his eyes again.

“hey, if something went wrong, im sure it was because your mom was raring to see this old man again. im sure you can understand,” he laughed. ayaka rolled her eyes, her hand resting on her shoulder.

“no, everything went according to plan, im sure. but what happens next is up to you.”

all three of them knew there was only one undecided factor in their doomed family. she would have to make this decision for herself.

“you still have your future ahead of you, ayano. you dont need to spend it here.”

kenjirou, for the first time in years, smiled genuinely. she knew this would be the last time that she would ever see it. quietly, in the back of her mind, ayano rued all the stolen moments like these; middle school graduation, birthdays, the dinners she could have spent with her parents. instead she shared quiet meals with her siblings, staring at those two vacant seats.

she was a kid again, waiting for her mom to come home. she was a teenager again, waiting for her dad to finally say it one more time. she wanted to stay. she couldn’t lose them again. but with pursed lips and wet eyes, she knew that her decision was made as soon as time stood still.

she wanted to go home.

and they understood.

with that, her parents held her. their beautiful daughter, who had to raise herself. their kind daughter, who would burn herself into ashes if it meant keeping her siblings warm. their lonely daughter, who just wanted everyone to stay, just for once. for the last time, both parents pulled their daughter close and held her.

“we love you.”

and for the first time in years, ayano allowed herself to weep.


End file.
